"I quit the rat race to move to the South Pole - working in -60 temperatures"
- 3 months ago
A man quit the rat race to for a job in the South Pole - where he now works in -60 temperatures, sees the Northern Lights "every day" and the nearest shop 2,000 miles away.
Jeff Capps, 33, was a mechanic in Denver, Colorado, US, before deciding take up a job 9,000 miles across the world to the South Pole, Antarctica.
He heard of a job opening for a mechanic to work at the US government owned Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station - a scientific research facility - and leapt at the chance to apply.
The $80k-a-year role sees Jeff work six-month stints in the South Pole and he says the idea of having "pretty much zero expenditure for half the year" was one of the main draws.
Jeff started the role in 2019 and describes the facility as like "living on a ship".
He says the 43 staff there have everything they might need - including a team of chefs.
Jeff even met his partner, Michelle, 33, while in the South Pole - where she worked in catering.
Jeff said: "I used to work in a car dealership as a mechanic.
"One day an old friend came by and said they needed a mechanic to work on snowmobiles in the South Pole – I thought 'sign me up!'."
Scientists at the station conduct research on climate change and the origins of the Big Bang.
Jeff said: "We call it our spaceship, as it's 700 miles from the next nearest research station.
"We’re totally isolated from everything."
According to Jeff, life inside the facility is pretty normal.
“If you don't open the door – it just seems like you’re in a nice hotel," he said.
“We have great team of chefs. It's room temperature inside and you can just walk around in a t-shirt.”
The facility is shared between a small group of people – 43 in total the last time Jeff was there six months ago.
“You build an extremely close community as you see the same people every day, it’s all pretty nice until you open the door outside – then that all changes," Jeff said.
While on site, Jeff frequently works outside fixing trucks and snowmobiles that have broken down in temperatures which average –60 degrees in winter.
At one point, he was working outside when the temperature dropped to an astonishing –76 degrees, which Jeff described as "surreal".
“You'd think you’d freeze to death instantly, but it’s a dry cold, so it’s actually not as bad as it sounds," he said.
“The weirdest thing is – I never felt shivering or chilled to the bone.
“The worst bit is if the cold hits any part of your skin which is uncovered, you get a sharp burning sensation – it feels like your skin is being stabbed with a knife.
“In winter it’s crazy outside – it's always dark as the sun sets once a year so it’s six months daylight then six months darkness."
Surprisingly, Jeff says among the best aspects of working in the South Pole is the social scene.
“We are all like a big family – we have arguments and stuff but you still kind of respect each other," he said.
"We all give each other crap, but then we all have parties and drink whiskey together.
“You have no one else to go so you have to make it work. "
Jeff says the parties in the centre are "legendary".
“You have to be much more creative down there," he said.
"Last time in July we had a Christmas-themed party, and we also did a South Pole Olympics - complete with an opening ceremony.
"We were supposed to do outdoor winter events but the weather was especially bad so we just stayed inside and drank whiskey."
Jeff even managed to meet his partner, Michelle, in the facility two years ago.
“There are some women down there,” Jeff said.
"When the couple met, there were only six women in the entire facility.
“We ended up going to a game night, there were a bunch of us hanging out and playing board games.
“Michelle was working as part of the catering team down there.
“We stayed together during our time off and ended up going travelling.”
The couple are currently in Oman, having travelled through New Zealand, Australia, turkey, Dubai, the UAE, and Yemen but plan on going back to the South Pole next year.
“We also see the aurora borealis (Northern Lights) almost every day - it’s good work if you can get it," he said.
Jeff Capps, 33, was a mechanic in Denver, Colorado, US, before deciding take up a job 9,000 miles across the world to the South Pole, Antarctica.
He heard of a job opening for a mechanic to work at the US government owned Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station - a scientific research facility - and leapt at the chance to apply.
The $80k-a-year role sees Jeff work six-month stints in the South Pole and he says the idea of having "pretty much zero expenditure for half the year" was one of the main draws.
Jeff started the role in 2019 and describes the facility as like "living on a ship".
He says the 43 staff there have everything they might need - including a team of chefs.
Jeff even met his partner, Michelle, 33, while in the South Pole - where she worked in catering.
Jeff said: "I used to work in a car dealership as a mechanic.
"One day an old friend came by and said they needed a mechanic to work on snowmobiles in the South Pole – I thought 'sign me up!'."
Scientists at the station conduct research on climate change and the origins of the Big Bang.
Jeff said: "We call it our spaceship, as it's 700 miles from the next nearest research station.
"We’re totally isolated from everything."
According to Jeff, life inside the facility is pretty normal.
“If you don't open the door – it just seems like you’re in a nice hotel," he said.
“We have great team of chefs. It's room temperature inside and you can just walk around in a t-shirt.”
The facility is shared between a small group of people – 43 in total the last time Jeff was there six months ago.
“You build an extremely close community as you see the same people every day, it’s all pretty nice until you open the door outside – then that all changes," Jeff said.
While on site, Jeff frequently works outside fixing trucks and snowmobiles that have broken down in temperatures which average –60 degrees in winter.
At one point, he was working outside when the temperature dropped to an astonishing –76 degrees, which Jeff described as "surreal".
“You'd think you’d freeze to death instantly, but it’s a dry cold, so it’s actually not as bad as it sounds," he said.
“The weirdest thing is – I never felt shivering or chilled to the bone.
“The worst bit is if the cold hits any part of your skin which is uncovered, you get a sharp burning sensation – it feels like your skin is being stabbed with a knife.
“In winter it’s crazy outside – it's always dark as the sun sets once a year so it’s six months daylight then six months darkness."
Surprisingly, Jeff says among the best aspects of working in the South Pole is the social scene.
“We are all like a big family – we have arguments and stuff but you still kind of respect each other," he said.
"We all give each other crap, but then we all have parties and drink whiskey together.
“You have no one else to go so you have to make it work. "
Jeff says the parties in the centre are "legendary".
“You have to be much more creative down there," he said.
"Last time in July we had a Christmas-themed party, and we also did a South Pole Olympics - complete with an opening ceremony.
"We were supposed to do outdoor winter events but the weather was especially bad so we just stayed inside and drank whiskey."
Jeff even managed to meet his partner, Michelle, in the facility two years ago.
“There are some women down there,” Jeff said.
"When the couple met, there were only six women in the entire facility.
“We ended up going to a game night, there were a bunch of us hanging out and playing board games.
“Michelle was working as part of the catering team down there.
“We stayed together during our time off and ended up going travelling.”
The couple are currently in Oman, having travelled through New Zealand, Australia, turkey, Dubai, the UAE, and Yemen but plan on going back to the South Pole next year.
“We also see the aurora borealis (Northern Lights) almost every day - it’s good work if you can get it," he said.